Quiet Fire’s Bantam Girls
It was hard to gage just how many athletes were there simply by looking around but by counting heats you knew there were alot of kids all vying for the top 9 spots. Watching heat after heat it is very clear why we love track and field.There are so many possibilities for growth in the sport.It isn’t just about the out come but the journey to get there.
Very few will ever breeze to the top with out first “viewing” in their heads the possibilities of training hard and not giving up. Out of the 170 Sub-bantam boys only 9 would go to the line one more time but the enthusiasm was so powerful if you sitting in the stands you couldn’t help but be captivated by the determination each one of those kids show.
This year beyond the amazing performances of our athletes I was taken by the younger athletes awareness of the older ones and their ability to say to them that they admired them,wanted to run fast like them.A few times during of the course of the weekend sub-bantam girls would make a way all the way to the top of the stands and introduce themselves to Lauren. Lauren would greet them and give them a hug and I would take a picture of them together.
Other times I witnessed Lauren and many other girl athletes going out of thier way to say to competitiors as well as the younger to the older “Good Job’ .
I appreciate the family atmosphere of our meets and with very little exception everyone was polite and engaging all weekend. I witnessed sharing of food,water, soft drinks to make sure everyone was comfortable ,happy and able to enjoy the meet together. As always my favorite part is meeting many of you. Like I always say when we meet you have a new friend in me and the stories you share about the challenges and triumphs of creating and maintaining a quality youth program are very stiring,moving and inspiring to me.
Time is at such a premium these days and truly it makes me so happy to see coaches all over the U.S. taking time for our kids and many many others just like yours and mine. I am in awe of what people can do when shared interest and deep commitment to a single focus in excellence can create.
I talk to many of you via phone e-mail and FB weekly but rarely do I get face time.I was able to get some quality face time this weekend with many coaches and track moms and once again the stories about the programs the difficulties,the triumphs of their programs was simply amazing.
I watch one of the power house teams of the California (3M track Club) so gracious and humbly win almost all of the girls top sprints and every time extend respect to the other competitors and a healthy fear of the unknown it until it was known,and even then a quiet confidence in the process and the journey. Every time the girls would come back to the tent their coach would talk to them and you could see in their eyes this huge level of respect and adoration they had for him and him for them.
I would venture to say he has done youth track the same way for many many years and it is obvious that his formula not for just creating winners on the track but assisting the winning attitude off is why he always looks happy and excited about what is to come.
There is a lot to be said for the quiet confidence of wisdom and experience and as our sport grows and the mature leaders turn over the reigns I hope they pick-up the great lessons you can only get when you take the time to watch the races, not just the winners of the races, watch the passion of the athletes not just the exuberance of the gold medalist,watch the tenacity of the “Live to fight another day” and see it finally come to a conclusion you knew would happen to change the momentum of the race .
Lastly I would just like to say that on Saturday I took a picture of the 3M Championship 4×400 team and these girls were so polite,humble and truly happy about what they had just accomplished.They were so balanced it was truly a pleasure to see and because this group will be competing with Lauren for many years to come. It is nice to know there are top athletes with even higher standards of character that make the races enjoyable either way the tide flows. Which in the end makes for a deeper competition that the spectators and fans love to watch play out.
On to another subject, the location of my treatment table. As I had thought the nice lady from Imani Track Club Yvette took it for me to her bus and and kept it in safe good hands.Funny how things happen .The first year we were in youth track Yvette was the first smiling face I met at the California States Games. I volunteered to pass out medals and she and I hit it off. I think for a few years I didn’t even remember her name but I knew her trade mark of always her giving smile and positive attitude for all the kids. So thanks Yvette!!! As Lauren says” You Rock”
In the end there is alot to learn from our peers as there is from our children’s peers on the track and at the meets. I hope I can continue to learn just as much in the future as I did this weekend we as a track family grow and mature in the sport we love so much track and field.
Until Next Time
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